Before Beacon
by HometownSciFi
Summary: A Prequel about Weiss' life in Atlas before attending Beacon Academy. - Weiss Schnee dreams of becoming a huntress, studying in another kingdom, and redeeming her family's dishonored name. But before she can do any of that, she must find the courage to defy her father.
1. Inheritance

**Even though I have written fan fiction for myself before now, this is my first venture into putting it online. I hope you enjoy reading it.**

 **This story will focus on Weiss' life in Atlas before leaving for Beacon Academy. It starts about 2 years before RWBY Volume 1.**

 **I don't know how regularly I will update this, but there is definitely more to come.**

 **) ) ) ( ( (**

 **Before Beacon**

 **Ch.1) Inheritance**

"Father, I want to see the world. So I was thinking, in a couple years when I finish combat school, I would like to attend an academy in another kingdom. Perhaps Haven or Beacon." Weiss stared at her reflection in the mirror. No matter how many times she practiced saying those lines on her own, they still sounded awkward, and she still had not found the courage to say them to Father.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Klein stepped about a pace into the room. "Miss Schnee, dinner will be served in 15 minutes. Your father has instructed that you and your brother are to attend."

"Thank You." The response came naturally, but in the inside she was screaming with frustration. A family dinner. Because those _always_ went _so_ well.

Klein glanced at the mirror in front of her and stepped further into the room with a goofy grin that she knew well. He lowered his voice. "You know, however many times you say it, that mirror's never gunna answer back."

Weiss looked back to the mirror and nodded. She recognized Klein's slight nudging for her to overcome her fears and speak to Father. "I know. It's just…sometimes I feel like my reflection is the only person that understands me."

She had not entirely intended to say that thought out loud, and glancing back to see Klein's concerned expression, she added, "Sorry. I guess my mind is wandering a bit."

He nodded, dismissing the odd comment and gestured toward the door. "You don't want to be late. I must go inform Master Whitley of dinner. Good evening, Miss Schnee."

He left, closing the door behind him. Weiss took a minute to collect her thoughts before the ordeal of being trapped at the dinner table with Father for an indefinite period of time. Undoubtedly, he would go in long rants about the government or whatever new project the Schnee Dust Company was working on, and he would expect her and Whitley to agree with every word he said. Whitley was good at humoring Father. Weiss had a bad habit of speaking her mind.

On her walk to the dining room, she focused on controlling her emotions. She wanted Father in a good mood when she brought up the idea of studying in another kingdom. That meant she had to agree with whatever he said tonight even if some of his ideas made her cringe. If she lost her temper, the possibility of studying overseas would evaporate. On the other hand, she could not lose her nerve again and fail to bring up the topic. Even though she would not be ready to start huntress training for nearly two years, it would take time to convince Father to allow her to go.

She entered the dining room to find it set for dinner but empty. She looked around for a moment before a quiet voice behind her made her jump. "Good evening, Sister."

Whitley had entered the room just after her. He looked smug, more so than usual.

"Good evening, Whitley."

"I know something…" He taunted with and evil grin.

He clearly wanted her to ask what he knew. So she deliberately didn't. "Good for you."

He ignored her sarcasm. "Father was at the academy today. When he got home, he went straight to one of the SDC lawyers. Do you want to know what they said?"

"I have no idea why I should be interested."

He grinned even wider. "You don't, do you?"

Weiss rolled her eyes at her pesky little brother as Klein came into the room. She walked over to her seat at the table, surprised to find that Klein had pulled out her chair for her. Even though this cheesy act of chivalry was technically part of his job, Weiss always insisted she could manage her own chair. She settled for giving him a bewildered look and sat down. As he pushed in her chair, he leaned over and whispered, "Not tonight."

She gave him an even more bewildered look as he walked away. What did he mean? Then Father came in. A single glance at his face told Weiss exactly what Klein meant. Tonight was not the night to bring up studying in another kingdom. Father was furious.

She almost leaned away from him as his cold glare perused the room. It was worse than if he came in shouting at everyone or muttering to himself. These moments when he went completely silent were rare, but they were also the most unpredictable.

Klein stepped up and spoke quietly. "Mrs. Schnee had refused your invitation to dinner."

Weiss was surprised. She did not realize Mother had even been invited. Mother was the only one who could refuse a demand from Father, and she usually did.

Still completely silent, the three of them sat and waited for dinner to be served. Even Whitley seemed a bit uncomfortable now.

The minutes creeped by with growing tension. Even after the food arrived, they ate in silence. Weiss searched desperately for a clue to Father's behavior. Usually he only got like this after failed business deals or White Fang attacks. But this time, his coldness seemed more directed at his children. His glances at them seemed calculating. Whitley refused to make eye contact with her and focused solely on his food as she tried to give him a questioning look. What had he overheard? Now she wished she had asked.

According to Whitley, Father came back from the academy and talked to a lawyer. Why? The only reason Weiss could think for her Father to visit the academy would be to see either General Ironwood or Winter. Father often had arguments with both of them but never anything on this scale. So what made today different?

She did not get an answer until they finished eating. Father set down his fork and continued to stare at them with that calculating look for another moment before finally speaking. "Winter is joining the Atlesian Army."

Weiss barely registered her own sharp intake of breath as the impact of his words settled over her. Of course, Winter had talked about joining the army, but Weiss never thought she was serious. She barely had time to register this shock before Father continued speaking.

"I warned her previously that after her graduation as a huntress, I will tolerate no more distractions from her duties as heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

Weiss felt herself tense as the meaning of his words sank over her. Silently, she begged him not to say what she feared he was about to say. But despite her sudden wave of panic, he continued speaking.

"As she decided to ignore my warnings, the Schnee Dust Company needs an heiress who will not allow herself to be distracted by such things as this Army Special Forces Unit. The Schnee name must come first at all times." He turned to look directly at Weiss and spoke in a tone that somehow made the demanding force behind his voice sound almost matter-of-fact. "I have already spoken to the lawyers and instructed the marketing director to prepare a press release. All the paperwork is in order. As of this evening, Weiss, you are the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

Her entire world fell away. She could not be the heiress. That was Winter's place. It always had been. Father had threatened to disinherit Winter before, but actually going through with it was a completely different matter. Weiss tried to calm her ragged breathing and fight down a slight panic attack. What would happen to all her dreams of leaving Atlas, of becoming a huntress? She could not imagine herself in a world of businessmen, trade deals, and finance. But what if Father now refused to let her do anything else? The Schnee Dust Company waded through world politics, and Weiss could not imagine herself in such an overwhelming position of responsibility.

She became aware that Father was staring at her with growing impatience. He expected an immediate response. She was on the verge of telling him she could not do it, begging him to choose someone else. Then she caught sight of Whitley out of the corner of her eye. He was smirking. In an instant, she remembered Winter saying that it fell to them to redeem the Schnee name from the infamy Father had brought to it. Seeing that smirk sent a horrifying realization shuddering through Weiss. With Winter now disinherited and Whitley as Father's little stooge, she was now the only person alive with a chance of reforming one of the most powerful companies in the world.

She forced her hands to fold neatly in her lap to hide her slight trembling and looked Father in the eye. Desperately trying to keep her voice even, she forced herself to tell Father exactly what he wanted to hear. "Father, as unexpected as this is, I accept the honor of being named heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. I will do my best to uphold the honor of the Schnee name."

 **) ) ) ( ( (**

A part of her begged for this to all be a bad dream. The second she got back to her room, Weiss grabbed her scroll to text Winter. Her message consisted of three simple words. _Is it true?_

It was a stupid question. Father's seriousness clearly showed it was true, but Weiss struggled to make herself believe it. Every time she thought of the word _heiress_ attached to herself, she felt like she had been dropped into another world. Winter had always been the heiress, and Weiss never gave a serious thought to his threats of disinheriting her. Although this was always a possibility, she never expected it to actually happen.

Her scroll beeped in her hand, and she looked down to see Winter's absurdly short answer. _Yes._

That it? Just…yes?

Tightening her grip on the scroll in frustration, Weiss sent Winter another text. _Can we talk?_

The short answer might have been a sign Winter was busy, but right now, Weiss wanted nothing more than to call her sister and beg for help.

The scroll beeped again, alerting her to Winter's response. _Not now. Lunch tomorrow?_

Weiss shuddered a sigh of frustration. She hated how her quiet room trapped her alone with her thoughts. And it would be like this all night, with her having nothing to do but worry. She had spent many nights helplessly trapped with her thoughts, but tonight promised to be the worst one yet.


	2. Winter's Choice

**Before Beacon**

 **Ch.2) Winter's Choice**

Klein drove Weiss to the café in downtown Atlas the next morning. Arriving a couple minutes early, she sat down and against her better judgement, ordered a coffee. It was her third cup of coffee that day, and it was not even noon yet. She felt a bit shaky as her body tried to adapt to more than her usual amount of caffeine, but when the cup was placed in front of her, she immediately took a large sip, eager for the slight reassurance its warmth gave her.

Winter arrived precisely on time as usual and ordered a water before seating herself across from her sister. They exchanged a few pleasant greetings as was expected of Schnee family members meeting in public. The waitress placed a glass of ice water in front of Winter but seemed too intimidated by her icey glare to ask if the sisters wanted anything else.

Winter glanced back to her glittery, 15-year-old, little sister and spoke softly. "Are you okay?"

Weiss wanted so badly to tell her sister she was fine, but as she thought back to her panic over the last half a day, she knew it was not true. Looking down to hide her embarrassment, she slowly shook her head.

"You never expected this? Even with all of his warnings?" Winter's voice remained soft in order to keep their conversation private while in a public place.

"I thought they were just words. Empty threats."

"You should have known better."

Weiss flinched at the hint of accusation in Winter's voice. "Did you? You signed up for the military, so you must have thought you could…that he wouldn't…"

"I knew this outcome was possible. I simply decided it was worth the risk."

Weiss looked up at her sister as the implications of her last statement sank in. "You mean you knew this would happen. That you chose to…?"

Her heart beat faster as she realized her current position was not due to Father's decision alone. If Winter knew what could happen, what would happen, that meant she had, in a sense, _chosen_ to pass this burden on to her little sister.

Weiss instinctively reached for her coffee, again seeking the reassurance of its warmth. Her mug was not there. Glancing across the table, she realized that during their conversation Winter had switched their drinks, taking the coffee for herself and leaving Weiss with the very non-caffeinated ice water.

With nothing left to distract her, Weiss' mind was forced back to confronting the reality in front of her. The thought of the word _heiress_ in front of her name still sent a shiver of anxiety through her, and her only thought was to find an answer to the one question now taking precedence over all the others. "Why?"

Winter sighed. "If I let him control me, how would I ever be able to make the changes the Schnee Dust Company needs? I couldn't let him manipulate me any longer. One way or another, he would stop me from redeeming our family name _and_ our company name. If I can't make my own decisions as the heiress, then there is no point to being the heiress."

Weiss listened to Winter's explanation with growing dread. "Then what do you expect me to do?"

"That's your decision." Winter attempted to give her an encouraging smile, but Weiss knew her sister well enough to catch the flicker of doubt behind her eyes. "You can do what you're told. Or you could try to defy him to make the changes the SDC needs. Or you could pass the burden on."

"But if I pass on the position…You said yourself that the SDC needs to change."

Winter lowered her voice farther. "I'm not sure that's possible anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Father is so determined to stand in the way of any progress, the only way to redeem the Schnee name may be outside the SDC."

After taking a moment to absorb Winter's interpretation of the situation, Weiss covered her face with her hands, determined to shut out the world and give herself time to think. Was Winter really giving up on redeeming their family's company? Was the situation really that hopeless? Surprising herself, the strongest emotion that flared up in Weiss was anger at her sister's hopeless statement. She looked up at Winter, suddenly defiant. "No."

Winter raised her eyebrows. "No?"

"No, I'm not giving up on the SDC. It's our legacy, and I'm not giving up on it. You know I wanted to study in another kingdom to become a huntress. Maybe I can still do that. Grandfather founded and led the SDC as a huntsman. So it might work out perfectly. I'll lead the company just like Grandfather did, and I'll…make a difference."

Her confidence shuddered to a halt as soon as she heard the words ' _I'll lead the company'_ come out of her mouth. Had she really agreed to do that? Well apparently she had now. Again the thought of herself in charge of the massive corporation sent a shiver of anxiety through her heart, but she forced herself to look up and meet Winter's eyes with determination.

Winter gave a small smile, again carrying that mix of encouragement and doubt. "Well then, I look forward to seeing you succeed."

/ / / \ \ \

In the car on the way home, Weiss was again overcome with doubt. Now that she admitted to herself that she would accept the position of heiress, new uncertainties about the future raged through her mind. Did she have the courage to defy Father? Did Winter really believe she could do it? Could she do it?

Her future unfolded in front of her like a vast, hazy labyrinth. What should she expect now? Would Father let her continue training as a huntress? After Winter's defiance, he could determine huntress training too rebellious. Did she have any hope of studying outside Atlas? And no matter where she studied, how would her fellow students look at her? As a classmate or an heiress?

She knew the company's reputation for corruption. What if she could not convince people that she intended to reform company policy? Actually, given how Father felt about the matter, could she even tell anyone about her intentions? How could she hope to improve things without getting disinherited herself? Or for that matter, did she even care about being disinherited given that as of yesterday, she had never wanted to be the heiress at all?

The more the confusing questions rolled through her head, the more she began to understand why Winter had done what she did. Weiss' breathing was steady, but she felt as if she was slowly suffocating under the weight of this new burden. What if this sense of powerlessness never left her? Could she live like this continually? Forever?

As the panic started to set in again, she shrank further into her seat, hoping to sink away and hide from the world. Shortly before they arrived home, Klein spoke from the driver's seat, startling her away from her thoughts. "Miss, you have it in you to be the better Schnee. It may take time, but the world will see that."

 _The better Schnee._ He had not needed to say who she was better than. They both knew he meant Father. Klein believed she could do better than Father? "I don't know if he'll let me."

"He can't stop you." Klein's eyes flashed red with determination.

"Can't he?" Father controlled every aspect of her life. How could she defy him and redeem the family name without meeting the same fate as Winter?

"It won't be easy." Klein continued. His expression softened into one of happy encouragement. "But you're strong and smart, My Little Snowflake. It may be possible as long as you keep believing it."

Klein's smile of encouragement lacked the hint of doubt Winter's had carried. Weiss smiled in return, grateful for the hope he offered even if it failed to end her uncertainty. "Thank you, Klein."

 **(Obvious disclaimer: RWBY is the property of Rooster Teeth)**


	3. Atlas, Beacon, Haven, Shade

**Back again for a new chapter. Thanks to anyone who has shown interest in this story. Since it isn't a more popular genre like adventure or romance, I was not sure if many people would be interested, but it seems at least a few people are. So for all those out there who take the time to read this, thank you.**

 **The story might move slowly, because I am interested in examining daily life in the Schnee house. Things will get more exciting later on. That giant knight has to show up at some point, but it might be a while for that.**

 **I hope you enjoy each phase of the story as it progresses, and I welcome comments and suggestions.**

 **(Obvious disclaimer: RWBY universe and characters belong to Rooster Teeth)**

 **( ( ( ) ) )**

 **Before Beacon**

 **Ch.3) Atlas, Beacon, Haven, Shade**

Weiss sat on her bed as she continued to skim through the research she had collected on her scroll. The weight of stress over her future lifted briefly as she put all of her focus on gathering data and debating her options. Organization and analysis helped her suppress the tide of emotions that constantly ripped through her since becoming the heiress six weeks ago. She put all her focus into weighing the options for her huntress training. It was a difficult decision. But she had to decide which of the four schools was her top priority before going to Father with the issue.

Not Shade Academy. That was the easy one to eliminate. Besides the fact that Father would never approve, Weiss knew she would never be comfortable in Vacuo's undisciplined, liberal culture. That left her three choices.

Haven Academy seemed to have the most to offer. It had a reputation as an excellent school, and its positioning in the heart of Mystral gave its students easy access to all the arts and cultural events the kingdom had to offer. Weiss could imagine herself there, training hard each week, and spending her weekends at plays and concerts amidst Mystral's glorious architecture.

Beacon Academy did not seem like a bad option. Like Haven, it was an excellent school, but Vale lacked the cultural advantages of Mystral. Even in doing extra research on the school, Weiss could not find anything particularly attractive about Beacon, not that there was anything unattractive about the school either. In the end, she found herself pretty apathetic over the prospect of attending Beacon.

And then there was Atlas Academy. Before becoming the Schnee Dust Company heiress, Weiss had hoped she would not have to settle for Atlas. Now she seriously considered it. Its focus on militaristic education would be tiresome, but if she wanted to take an active part in the company, it would help to stay close to home. And the more she read about the Schnee Dust Company, the more she found that she really did wanted an active part in reforming it.

In the weeks since becoming an heiress, Weiss had learned more about her family's business than she ever expected, and some of it frustrated her. It was not hard to read between the lines of news reports and political essays. Father's fingerprints shined through on every unsubstantiated rumor of corruption. Of course, there was no proof of criminal activity, but bazar disasters seemed to befall any small dust company that challenged the SDC. Although not exactly sure how much Father was involved, she decided that she would accept remaining ignorant of the details. At least for now, she did not want to know just how far Father far really gone.

Her glaring ignorance showed up on other matters as well. There were the issues of faunas rights and all the claims of discrimination that plagued the SDC. Weiss was even less clear on this topic. Unusually enough in the modern world, Weiss had never really known any faunas. She had seen some on the street as the car drove past and occasionally spoke to one as a waiter or some other menial position. Father mistrusted faunas. The media seemed mostly in support of increased equality. But without ever having gotten to know a single faunas, Weiss felt herself in no position to voice an opinion.

With her thoughts on the company, her mind had wandered off the topic at hand, and she returned her focus to the schools up for consideration. Haven and Atlas seemed like the best options. She stared at her scroll, flipping back and forth between pages on the two schools.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in."

Klein entered with his usual half bow. "Miss Schnee, you requested to be informed when your father had returned. He arrived home from his meeting in Mystral 15 minutes ago."

Weiss slid off her bed and headed for the door. She was too nervous to thank Klein for his information and simply offered him a polite nod as she stepped out into the hall. This was it. She was going to talk to Father. Afraid her voice might tremble slightly with anxiety, she focused on calming her emotions as she walked to his office. It would be fine. Father would understand. He had to.

She knocked on the door of his office. "Come in."

Taking one last steading breathe, Weiss opened the door.

Father stood in the middle of the room and barely glanced up from the file in his hands before he spoke. "Can you believe these people? We offer them a fair amount of lien and they still refuse to sell. Don't they realize this is the modern world? Any rational person knows they can't hope to compete."

It took Weiss a few seconds to catch up with his train of thought. "You mean the dust shops the SDC is trying to acquire in Mystral?"

"All five of them refused to sell." He turned to lay the folder flat on his desk and spread out the paperwork. Keeping his back to her, he waved her over. "Come here and look at this."

Realizing she could not escape the lecture on company politics, Weiss reluctantly moved forward to examine the documents concerning Father's attempted takeover of five small dust shops in Mystral. The Schnee Dust Company already owned most of the small shops in Atlas. Overtaking the small businesses of Mystral seemed like the next goal, probably because of the historically close political ties between Atlas and Mystral.

Standing uncomfortably close to Father as he continued to rant about small shopkeepers, Weiss scanned through the profit margins and buyout offers. She still did not feel comfortable in the business world, but she understood enough to notice something odd about the numbers in front of her. She interrupted Father's rant to question him about it. "The amount of lien we're offering for their businesses seems a bit low to me, Father."

His look down at her suggested that her comment was extremely naïve. He walked around his desk, sat down, and pressed the tips of his fingers together, staring at her over the top of them. "It's far more than they will get if we drive them into bankruptcy. It just baffles me how they don't see that."

An idea occurred to Weiss. It was a selfish idea, but she said it anyway out of nervous desperation. "Maybe I could help you with that."

He didn't look up from the paper in his hand. "How so?"

This was her chance. "Well, I have been thinking that once I finish combat school, it might be useful for me to attend one of the academies in another kingdom. If I attended Haven Academy, I could take care of SDC business on the side. I could visit with these shop owners on my days off of class and persuade them to see sense."

He still did not look up from his paperwork. He sounded almost board now. "That's still a couple years away. I don't intend for these rogues to be a thorn in my side for that long. They'll fold…eventually. One way or another."

Weiss did not know what to make of his response. With his entire focus on business, he had apparently barely noticed her intention to study outside Atlas. She sighed and settled for a more direct approach. "Nevertheless, Father, when I graduate combat school, I want to complete my huntress training in another kingdom. I want take the opportunity to see the world."

Finally he looked up. "And what about your duties as heiress?"

Weiss took in another deep breath to keep herself calm and focused. Even though she no longer felt the wave of anxiety at being referred to as _the heiress_ , hearing the word applied to herself still felt surreal. She needed to make sure her own words lived up to Father's expectations. "I can still manage my position as heiress from another kingdom. With the CCT, company headquarters is only a scroll call away."

He shrugged. "Well, the decision is up to you."

Weiss froze at this uncharacteristic allowance of freedom. "Really?"

"Of course. You may attend any school you wish, within reason. Although, I hope you are at least considering Atlas Academy among your options. It is a fine school despite its sometimes questionable leadership."

Weiss took his _'within reason'_ comment to imply _'not Shade Academy.'_ Not a problem. It was never a serious consideration in her mind. She dismissed the comment about General Ironwood's leadership and focused instead on her own interests. "Atlas and Haven seem the best options, but Beacon looks acceptable as well."

"Fine schools." Father agreed.

"Yes." Weiss nodded, still baffled by his apparent indifference toward the subject.

"I have not given much thought to your huntress training before now, but as you approach the end of combat school, it seems an appropriate time to consider the subject."

Weiss assumed the first part of that statement to be a lie. Father often put _too much_ thought into his children's futures. But she did not raise any objections as he continued speaking.

"Perhaps you could take a tour of Atlas Academy soon. It's near enough it should not be a bother."

Weiss nodded, pleased that Father seemed to be approaching the situation rationally. "If it's possible, I would like to arrange tours of Haven and Beacon as well."

"Hmm…" Father paused before speaking, and Weiss' confidence in the situation wavered slightly as he continued. "Those schools are quite far away. It would take some time to arrange."

His tone of voice suggested that tours of those schools would not be worth the effort. She tried to stand her ground. "I know it won't be possible right away, but I have more than a year before I need to start applying to whichever academy I choose. I would like to make an effort to visit the more distant schools. Haven at least."

Father looked somewhat weary at the thought of arranging tour trips to visit the distant schools. Apparently deciding to ignore the issue for the moment, he directed his words back to local education. "I see. In any case, I will arrange a tour of Atlas Academy as soon as possible. I think you will appreciate the familiarity of their campus culture. We will see about visiting the other schools in due time."

Left completely uncertain about where he stood in the issue, Weiss maintained her formal conduct. "Thank you, Father."

He nodded. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to return to work."

"Of course." Weiss turned to leave his office. As she did so, she fell back on an old habit. She glanced at the picture frame on Father's bookshelf diagonal from his desk. It held a picture of herself, but if she stood at the correct angle, she could see Father's face reflected in the glass even after she turned her back. It was always a good way to gage his mood beyond the few hints he gave. It proved useful now.

Seconds after her back was turned, he rolled his eyes with an exasperated expression. Her heart sank, but she made sure to explain away her slight pause before leaving. He had never discovered the trick with the picture, and she wanted to keep him ignorant of her little fail-safe. "Thank you for listening, father."

With her pause explained away as hesitant gratitude, she left the room as quickly as possible while still maintaining dignity, her mind desperately trying to analyze Father's reaction.

Once the office door closed behind her, she leaned against the wall with fists clenched in frustration. It all fell into place in the last few seconds before she stepped out of the office. Father did not claim she could attend any academy because he wanted to give her freedom to choose. He said she could attend any academy because he was completely certain she would choose Atlas. His comment about how comfortable she would be with the culture of Atlas Academy made sense. She grew up in Atlas, and in his mind, she had no reason to leave.

Deciding not to wait around his office and risk being accused of eavesdropping, she began to make her way back to her room.

With every step, she grew more frustrated. He really thought he knew her well enough to assume she would never leave Atlas. In this conversation, his hints toward her staying near home were subtle, but if she defied his expectations and asked to attend another school, would he use more direct means to stop her? Did she really have the freedom to choose or was he simply trying to trick her into thinking she did?

There was only one way to find out: attend an academy outside Atlas. If she chose Atlas Academy, she would never know for sure if her destiny really lay in her own hands, if the decision to attend that school was really his choice or her own.

If she wanted to break free of his influence, Atlas Academy had to be taken off the table. That left Haven or Beacon.

Her conversation with Father concerning Haven, Mystral, and the roll of the SDC in the area's local businesses came flooding back to her. She cringed at the memory of her own words. Had she really suggested helping father crush a collection of small businesses just to find an excuse to study in another kingdom? _Right, because helping the notoriously corrupt corporation destroy the honest, local competition was the perfect way to redeem the Schnee name,_ she though sarcastically. Unfortunately, if she attended Haven, he might expect that from her now that she had made the offer.

When she got back to her room, she sat down on the bed and stared unseeingly at the door, her mind focused on the new conclusion she was approaching.

Earlier, when she considered Beacon to lack any particular advantages over the alternatives, she had messed something. It had one key advantage. Distance. It was not too different from Haven in terms of miles away from Atlas. But politically, Vale and Beacon were much further away. Vale lacked the historic political ties to Atlas that bound Mystral to its northern neighbor. If she truly wanted independence, Beacon was her best option.

She almost laughed at how quickly her opinion on the matter had changed. An hour ago, Beacon was near the bottom of her options. Now, because of her conversation with Father, it had risen to her first choice. But getting there would not be easy.


	4. Beacon of Uncertainty

**Back again. I have been trying to upload these chapters every Thursday, and so far I have managed it. However, this week has been a bit crazy. Work is crazy. Weather is crazy. And I must be crazy for continuing to pursue this amidst the craziness. But here it is…on Thursday, even if there is only half an hour left of Thursday.**

 **I am really enjoying writing this, and it makes an excellent distraction from everyday life. Thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to read, keep up with, and/or take an interest in this story. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. As ever I am open to reviews and suggestions.**

 **(Obvious disclaimer: RWBY characters and universe belong to Rooster Teeth)**

 **( ( ( ) ) )**

 **Before Beacon**

 **Ch.4) Beacon of Uncertainty**

Her scroll beeped with the arrival of a text. Weiss walked over to where it lay on her bed and looked down to read the message from Father. _Tour of Atlas Academy tomorrow. Tour of Beacon Academy Saturday._

Weiss stared at the message. Three weeks without mentioning their conversation concerning hunting academies ended with this message arriving out of the blue. But a tour of Atlas Academy tomorrow? On a Tuesday? She had an exam in her combat school. She was practicing for it right now. She could not miss it and said so in her reply to Father. _I have an exam tomorrow and cannot fail to attend for fear of hurting my grades. I must decline the tour of Atlas Academy. However, I am available to visit Beacon on Saturday._

She kept the Schnee family formality even in her texts to Father, hoping it would appease his annoyance at her contradicting his schedule. Even if it was for academic purposes, he did not appreciate anyone questioning his plans.

His response was brief. _I see. Very Well. You must keep to your own schedule._

She was unclear how annoyed he was from that remark. Father texted so rarely that she was not quite as good reading between the lines of this brief response. He was annoyed, but she was not sure how annoyed. Sighing in frustration, she went back to practicing for tomorrow's exam.

But her mind began to wander. A tour of Beacon. That was incredibly good fortune. Father had seemed so hesitant to arrange tours of schools beyond Atlas, he surprised her by setting this one up. As she swung her sword through a series of endlessly repeated movements, the realization suddenly hit her, and she almost laughed.

When she spoke to Father before, she had expressed her highest interest in Haven and very little interest in Beacon. Father may have deliberately avoided arranging a tour of the only school outside Atlas he saw as real competition for his daughter's attention, Haven. Instead, the only tour he planned beyond Atlas was at Beacon, where she expressed only limited interest in. Unaware that her interests shifted since they last spoke on the topic, Father arranged a tour for the only academy she was now seriously considering.

She again shifted her focus back to her training but with a small smile this time in the hopes that luck may finally go her way.

 **( ( ( ) ) )**

"It seems a waste of time to tour a school you do not plan to attend."

Weiss shuttered internally at the latest in a series of unsubtle comments directed at her from Father, who sat in the next seat over as the ship carried them to Vale. She had been surprised when he said he intended to accompany her on the visit to Beacon. He said it was his duty to look out for the interests of his daughter. Weiss wondered if he actually meant _control_ the interests of his daughter. Since they left home, he relentlessly dropped hints at his displeasure over the situation. She could not tell whether he was more frustrated with her failure to visit Atlas Academy or her eager acceptance of the offer to visit Beacon.

"I may or may not attend the school, Father, but I want to see all my options."

Father looked as if he was barely refraining from rolling his eyes, and the trip again descended into another awkward silence.

Weiss looked out the window, marveling at the landscape below. The amount of green in the lands beyond her frozen northern home always amazed her. But its unfamiliarity made her uncomfortable. If even the different landscape amazed her, how would she adapt to a different culture?

She gave Father no hint as to how seriously she considered attending Beacon. It would only result in an argument. This was her opportunity to convince him of the school's merits and at the same time, to convince herself she could face a foreign environment for the sake of her independence.

As the ship landed, a formal woman greeted them at the Beacon docks. Good. She seemed like the type who could impress Father. The woman approached them with a hand outstretched in greeting. "Hello. I am Professor Goodwitch. On behalf of the entire school, I would like to welcome you to Beacon Academy."

Father shook the woman's hand but frowned slightly at her words. "Why is the school's headmaster not here to greet us?"

"Professor Ozpin is quite busy at the moment. I will conduct your tour of Beacon today."

Father nodded. "I see."

Weiss bit back a sudden wave of frustration and continued displaying the professional attitude Father expected. Why could this Professor Ozpin not at least greet them? Would that be so hard? It made no difference to her, but Father would take the headmaster's failure to appear as a mark against the school.

Professor Goodwitch began leading them through the campus speaking of all the school had to offer. A wide variety of classes. Some of the world's finest instructors. A beautiful and spacious campus. Nearby forests that allowed for practical experience. A diverse student population and culture.

Weiss half listened as she examined the environment around them. Although the setting was unfamiliar, she found it rather welcoming, which surprised her. She had expected the foreign culture to feel more intimidating. The whole environment was fat less cold, both literally and figuratively, than the one she grew up in. Then she caught what Professor Goodwitch was saying about the benefits of encouraging campus diversity, and almost immediately she began to anticipate Father's cynical reaction to the concept. But he remained quiet as they passed through the campus.

Weiss' attention drifted to a pair of students sitting in the courtyard with chess board between them, which they seemed to be ignoring at the moment. The girl looked normal enough, but the boy across from her had ram horns. A faunas. That was not too shocking. All the academies accepted faunas students. But this was different. With little of the pair's attention on their chess game, they continually glanced up at each other, sharing small smiles, whispers, and winks that could only be classified as flirtatious.

Weiss looked to Father, hoping he had not noticed the rather obvious inter-species couple. Unfortunately, his eyes were also focused on the pair. In public, he hid his opinions under a diplomatic exterior, but Weiss sensed his disapproval. As the couple realized they were being observed, they briefly glanced toward the staring visitors before returning their attention to each other and the game. Weiss turned away, blushing slightly at having been caught staring. Father however, simply gave a disgruntled sigh.

"Is anything wrong?" Professor Goodwitch asked, not catching the reason for the interruption of her tour.

"No, no. Everything's fine." Father smiled. It always amazed Weiss how cherry and friendly he could sound if he really wanted to. "I was merely admiring the beauty of your campus."

The tour continued, and Weiss wondered what else could go wrong. If a public inter-species couple was not enough to annoy Father, the fact that the pair apparently had not even recognized the head of the Schnee Dust Company was bound to agitate him further. This visit was quickly becoming less about visiting a potential school and more about trying to upset Father as little as possible.

They visited the classrooms. As it was a weekend, no classes were in session for them to observe. They visited the training grounds. Students sparred with each other or exercised on their own. Then they visited the student dorms.

Walking down the narrow hallway with Father and Professor Goodwitch, Weiss suddenly regretted accepting the tour of Beacon. Although she found no major objections to the school, there was no way Father would approve. This tour only confirmed his low opinion of the place.

The teacher stopped and unlocked one of the doors. "This is a typical student room."

Weiss peered cautiously into the room. Four beds barely fit in a space that also had to accommodate desks and dressers. The space was absurdly small.

"As a Schnee, my daughter will of course require a private room."

The professor shook her head. "Beacon does not offer private rooms. All students are housed with their teammates in order to develop cooperation and trust."

"I see." Father glanced again at the small room. "If that is the case, I see no reason for us to remain here any longer."

Weiss could have screamed with frustration as they left the building. The school obviously failed to live up to the standards Father set for the Schnee family. The worst thing was that part of her agreed with him. Even if she approved of the rest of the school, the student rooms were unacceptable. Sharing a room many times smaller than her one at home with three other people? She grew up in the vast Schnee Manor surrounded with its lonely but familiar solitude. The idea of being trapped in a small room with three others having little or no privacy… She shuddered internally, feeling claustrophobic just thinking about it.

But was giving in and staying in Atlas really a better alternative?

Professor Goodwitch offered them dinner in the school cafeteria, which father respectfully declined. Weiss did not argue. The last thing she needed was to give Father a reason to complain about the quality of the food.

As evening closed in, they headed back to their ship at the docks with Weiss feeling dejected. She hoped the trip home would be silent, but luck was not in her favor today. A few minutes after the ship took to the air once again, Father spoke. "You don't want to go there. You would never be happy in a place like that."

It was not a question. It was a statement of fact informing her of what she believed. She considered her response carefully. "What if I want to attend Beacon?"

"Why would you want to go somewhere you don't belong?" He seemed genuinely puzzled at her contradiction of the facts he had just given her, but beneath the surface lingered a hint of passive-aggressive menace. As far as he was concerned, this tour was a waste of time.

"I want to keep my options open. You did say I could attend any school I wanted." She reminded him.

"Within reason."

That phrase was back. The first time he used it, she took _'within reason'_ to mean _'not Vacuo,'_ but now she wondered if Father had a different definition of the phrase. He might considered any contradiction to his opinions unreasonable.

What if he really had no intention of letting her study outside Atlas? What if he never intended to let her slip beyond the bounds of his control?

She thought back to Beacon. The cultural differences were not as intimidating as she expected, except for the lack of personal space in the living quarters. That was a lot _more_ intimidating. If she got along with her roommates, it might be bearable, but what if they did not get along. She already felt trapped and confined back in the Schnee Manor. Could she bear being trapped in an even more confined environment if that was the price of her independence?

With no certainty left, she wondered if she was strong enough to face this challenge. She had to decide. If she really wanted to attend Beacon, Father might fight her every step of the way. Was the chance to step into this new world, a world which scared her almost as much as he did, really worth placing herself in the way of his wrath?

She sighed and looked out the window. Darkness hid the green fields below them. By the time the sun rose, they would be back in the frozen fields of Atlas. And Weiss would return home with even fewer certainties than when she left.


	5. Training Mishap

**Before Beacon**

 **Ch.5) Training Mishap**

Beacon. It quickly became the only thing she thought about in limited free time. As Father pressured her to develop her knowledge of Schnee Dust Company business practices, she found her mind wandering back to that brief tour of a distant school as a welcomed distraction from the stresses of everyday life. Unfortunately, it also began to distract her from things she needed to focus on. In this case, that was her combat training.

Six of Atlas' most privileged students stood in a vast hall in Atlas Academy. Although Weiss was privately tutored in combat technique, her instructors always insured that all students gained some experience interacting with their peers. Twice a week, all privately tutored students met with the others of their age group to train together. It gave them experience sparing with someone on their own level and allowed the instructors to vary their teaching methods. Therefore, every Tuesday and Friday, Weiss met with these five other students in one of Atlas' many smaller combat arenas.

Of her classmates, three had parents in the upper levels of the Atlas military. And the other two had parents working for the Schnee Dust Company. They, in fact, worked for her father. That sometimes made interacting with them difficult.

And that though again drew her mind back to Beacon and to something she had not given much thought to at the time. When they walked the distant campus, students glanced their way, but none starred or shown any signs of recognizing the head of the Schnee Dust Company. In Atlas, public eyes always followed anyone bearing the Schnee name. But at Beacon, she was just another potential student. She was sure the lack of regard for their name infuriated Father and probably contributed to his disregard for the school. But the more she thought about it, the idea of being seen as normal both terrified and fascinated her. It also made her more aware of how not-normal her name made her within Atlas' culture.

She shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts. Letting her mind wander during lessons was unacceptable, especially one as important as this.

One instructor continued to explain today's exercise.

"…but now is the time to put it into practice. Since the creatures of grimm are drawn to negative emotions, the ability to control emotions such as fear is highly valued to the combatant in the field. Today's test is designed to determine which of you has gained the strongest mastery over such emotions."

Two classroom aids began wheeling a massive black cylinder into the hall. If Weiss had to guess, she would say it was about ten feet high and five feet in diameter. It was clearly hollow, because brutish growls and snarls echoed from within its walls. There was no secret as to what it contained.

Weiss had seen grimm up close before. Instructors often brought the smaller ones into class in order to demonstrate the practical purposes of the combat techniques they taught. Weiss had yet to fight a grimm herself, but she felt sure she could do it, at least one of the smaller ones. However, today was not about fighting.

One of the instructors walked up to the black container an laid his hand on its curved side while the classroom aids concentrated on bolting the base of the cylinder to the floor.

"In here is a beowulf chained to the base of its cage, which is being fixed to the floor as we speak. When the sides of the cage are raised, the creature will immediately gravitate toward whichever of you displays the strongest negative emotions."

The aids finished bolting the base to the floor and began to connect the top of the creature's prison to a chain that had been lowered from the ceiling. Clearly this chain would lift the top and wall of the cage away in order to allow the creature to roam freely.

"You have no need to fear harm from the grimm. The chain will restrain it a safe distance from its intended target. Now please form a circle around the cage. The floor is marked to indicate the distance designated as safe."

Weiss looked down and for the first time noticed a series of small black dashes painted on the floor in a circle around the black cage. She took a couple steps back to stand behind the line. Around her, the other students did the same. She glanced around to see how they were approaching this new challenge. Like her, some took the challenge with quiet confidence, but she also noticed nervousness in some of their expressions. Why were they so nervous? But the grimm could not hurt them. The instructors made sure of that. That immediate lack of emotional control would immediately make them targets for the grimm.

Weiss' eyes fell on her sparring partner, a quiet girl named Krystal. At the beginning of the school year, Weiss and Krystal were assigned to train together at least twice a week, specifically on the afternoons when all the privately tutored students met together. Krystal was among those who looked anxious, and Weiss immediately felt a stab of annoyance at the girl's lack of confidence. She had already contemplated speaking to the girl on the matter.

Although Weiss did not make a habit of socializing with her classmates, her sparing partner's state of mind did concern her. Krystal's parents worked for the SDC. Weiss suspected this fact alone contributed to her poor performance during their sparing matches. The girl lacked confidence facing the heiress to the SDC. It had not helped that the pair were assigned as partners barely a week after Weiss became the heiress. Over the past few months, Weiss had begun to accept her position, but Krystal remained consistently anxious over training with the heiress. Her hesitancy in their training sessions was doing neither of them any favors.

And now the girl shifted nervously on her heels with her hands clenched tightly at her sides. Weiss decided that they would definitely talk about this later. She could not risk her own training faltering because of that girl's anxiety.

Her thoughts shifted back to the grimm cage as another instructor finished speaking. Weiss realized with annoyance that she had no idea what the woman had said. Loosing focus here could jeopardize her grades and therefore her chances of getting out of Atlas. Frustrated with her mind wandering again, she tried to focus on the task at hand.

Seconds later the cage cover lifted to reveal a huge beowulf, larger than any Weiss had seen before. And then it lunged. Claws flashed. And Weiss stumbled backward, shocked as the creature's attack came within a few inches of her face.

For a few seconds, fierce snarls echoed through the otherwise silent room as the demonic creature strained at its chains in an attempt to get at Weiss, who stood frozen to the spot.

Then the instructor who initially gave the signal to open the cage, gave another wave of her hand to the classroom aids. The grind of mechanics sounded as the chain around the grimm's neck began to reel it back to the base of its cage. The lid lowered and muffled its growls.

"Please step back up to the line Miss Schnee. Remember to stay focused on your present task. Distraction in a combat scenario can hamper your ability to control your emotions as well as endangering your safety."

Weiss felt herself blush with embarrassed indignation. Why had the grimm gone for her out of all of them? "But I wasn't afraid? It can't harm me, so there was no fear for it to target."

The instructor turned to look directly at her. "Fear is the most common response to creatures of grimm, but it is not the only emotion that draws them in. Remember these creatures are drawn to all negative emotions."

Weiss' embarrassment deepened as she realized what she had just done. True, she was not afraid. But her annoyance at the visible fear of the others and her frustration with her own distraction during the instructors' speech had apparently been enough to overshadow the others as far as the grimm was concerned. She showed greater negative emotion in frustrated response to the negative emotions of others.

"Please step back up to the line Miss Schnee."

Weiss realized that she still hung back from the line on the floor and hesitantly stepped back up to it. But why was she so nervous now? The incident proved the line to be a safe distance from the fearsome creature. It could not harm her. But the thought of those claws swiping so close to her face almost made her shudder.

The instructors talked them through several of the methods for staying calm that all of them were already familiar with. Controlled breathing, focused attention, and a few other factors came into the discussion. Weiss' nervousness began to fade with the reassurance of her safety. But her embarrassment did not fade. _It was just one mistake._ She repeated that though over and over. But one mistake mattered. If Father found out, he would use it against her.

Too soon, the instructor gave the signal to raise the cage cover again. Weiss desperately tried to clear her mind of all thoughts, especially those concerning Father, and focus on the steadiness of her breathing. But her steady breathing shifted into a startled gasp as the grimm once again lunged for her and she once again stumbled backward from the nonexistent threat.

Concern resonated on the faces of all the instructors as the grimm was once again reeled back in and covered. This time they glanced her way but said nothing as she stepped back up to the line. Her embarrassment returned in full force. She was the Schnee Dust Company heiress and the daughter of one of Remnant's most influential businessmen. And right now, she was making a complete fool of herself in front of some of Atlas' most skilled fighters.

Finally, one of the instructors spoke. "Miss Schnee, perhaps you could switch places with one of the other students. The grimm may have targeted you a second time simply because you were standing in the same place."

That did not make much sense to Weiss. Was he was trying to make an excuse to cover the awkward moment, to cover her second failure? She did not question it as she glanced at her classmates to find someone to switch with. Krystal immediately caught her eye. The sparing partners nodded at each other, stepped across the room, and switched places.

She just wanted the class to end. With her embarrassment skyrocketing to new heights, she doubted she had enough emotional control left to deter the next attack. She found herself starting to fidget on the spot and clenched her fist in an effort to steady herself. Across the room, Krystal stared at her with apparent concern.

The instructors spoke. The cage opened. The grimm leaped. Clenching her fists and gritting her teeth, Weiss refused to flinch as claws once gain flashed in front of her face. The creature's hot breath reached her, and she held her breath to avoid reacting to the humid odor. The creature was once again reeled back in by silent instructors.

Weiss was beyond embarrassment and simply stood staring straight ahead, willing the class to end as soon as possible. She got her wish sooner than expected but under even more troubling circumstances. One of the instructors turned to her looking concerned. "Miss Schnee, perhaps you should wait outside for the rest of the class to finish. You could probably use a break."

Weiss wanted to protest. A Schnee did not just give up. But the thought of the grimm targeting her again sent a shiver through her that clearly defied her attempts at emotional control. Reluctantly nodding, she headed for the exit. As she passed the grimm cage, the creature hidden under the dark cover let out a piercing yowl. Weiss flinched and immediately hated herself for doing so.

Once alone in the corridor outside, she nearly screamed in frustration. How would she ever be worthy to represent the Schnee family in another kingdom if she could not even manage this simple challenge?

She passed up and down the hallway trying and apparently failing to control her emotions. It did not matter that she could convince the entire world that she was calm and controlled if the grimm could see through the act so easily. And if Father found out about this, she would face a nightmare of ridicule that would only worsen her chances of controlling her emotions.

The class finally ended, and students began making their way to sparing practice. Krystal immediately came over to her. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." It was the only halfhearted response Weiss could muster.

With a frown, Krystal nodded. "If it helps, the grimm went for me a couple times after you left. And it targeted Rice a couple time too."

Weiss smiled a bit at that. Rice was her sparring partner from last year. He was obnoxious and arrogant. In many ways he embodied everything about Atlas' high society that she hated. But as she thought of that, her small smile slipped back to a frown. The grimm had targeted Krystal and Rice but only after Weiss was out of the way, which suggested that even this nervous girl and that arrogant boy had more emotional control that her.

She began making her way down the hall toward the private rooms used for sparring. Krystal followed a few steps behind her. "Miss Schnee, is everything okay?"

Weiss was glad the girl could not see her scowl of frustration. They were the same age, studying at the same combat level, and in nearly the same aristocratic class. Would it be so hard for Krystal to call her by her first name? She sighed away her frustration and answered the question. "I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Oh." Krystal walked awkwardly behind her for a moment before speaking again. "How was your tour of Beacon? You never said anything about it?"

Weiss almost froze in surprise but kept walking. Since when had Krystal been so good at reading her? How did she know Beacon was exactly the thing that had been troubling her?

Then she realized the truth. Krystal was probably trying to distract her from whatever was troubling her and accidently hit upon the topic. She pondered what to tell the nervous girl, and decided on the basic facts, which would also go a long way to explaining her current distraction. "I was quite impressed with Beacon Academy, but I do not believe my father shares my opinion."

"Oh." Krystal's response seemed more startled at this answer. Clearly not wanting to get involved in a conflict between the heiress to the SDC and the head of the SDC, Krystal remained silent the rest of the way to the sparing chambers.

.

 **/ / / \ \ \**

 **Hope you enjoyed that chapter. Sorry for the delay in posting. Updates will probably not be quite as regular as they were for the first handful of chapters, but I will try to never let more than a few weeks pass between updates.**

 **Just a note on characters: Krystal is the first non-canon character in this story. I decided to introduce her here rather than to wait until she becomes more important to the story. I chose the name because being from Atlas, she could therefore eventually be part of Team FNKI, since we do not as of yet know who the other members of that team are. However, I do not plan on ever mentioning that team in this story, because at some point we may actually learn more about the rest of Team FNKI. For now, this potential member of that team is just a fun idea to play with.**

 **Finally, thanks to everyone who has shown an interest in this story. Reviews and/or suggestions are welcomed.**

 **(Obvious disclaimer: RWBY characters and universe belong to Rooster Teeth)**


	6. Control

**Author's Note:**

 **This was originally going to be the first scene in the next chapter, but since that chapter may take a while to finish, I figured this scene was long enough to function as its own small chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Thanks again to everyone who has shown an interest in this story.**

 **(Obvious disclaimer: RWBY characters and universe belong to Rooster Teeth)**

.

 **/ / / . . . . . \ \ \**

 **Before Beacon**

 **Ch.6) Control**

"I just don't understand why it went so badly. Again." Two weeks and another failed emotional control lesson later, Weiss sat on her bed with a textbook on her lap. She ignored the book as she spoke to Klein. Her failure in deterring grimm attacks through emotional control moved from frustrating to infuriating now that it had happened again. And just like before, the grimm went straight for her instead of the other students.

Klein listened silently as he cleaned the floor of her room. He was always willing to listen, but Father would throw a fit if he suspected that Klein was socializing with the family rather than working. Weiss wished things were different. She wished she could sit and talk with the family butler the way she did with Winter. But the differences in social status limited their friendship. Klein at least seemed to be taking longer than necessary cleaning the floor in order to give her time to talk.

Weiss' rant continued as the memory of her most recent failure mixed with her growing dread of Father finding out about it. "And I studied all the methods for emotional control. I know it's not entirely something you can learn from a book. But I practiced focusing my mind and steadying my breathing, and it all came to nothing. The grimm _still_ came after me first!"

Klein remained silent for a moment to make sure her rant was over before speaking. "Emotional control doesn't exactly run in your family, Miss Schnee."

Well that was true enough. Father always admired the _'I'm not angry, just disappointed'_ philosophy of discipline, but he rarely managed to pull it off. His temper usually got the better of him. But he was not a true Schnee. She was. "That might be true of Father, but what about Winter, Whitley and myself? We aren't like that. None of us openly show emotions. At least not excessively. And you know I'm not one to wear emotions on my sleeve. I mean, come on, I haven't cried since…since…"

She broke off that sentence. The sympathetic look Klein gave her told her she did not need to finish her thought. They both remembered. When Weiss was still quite little, Father had threatened to destroy her favorite toy, a little stuffed dog, if she did not behave properly at a Schnee Dust Company business party. Weiss had cried and sent Father into a rage. As was usual in those days, Winter came to her defense. The adolescent girl told Father that Weiss was too young to understand the importance of keeping up appearances. Father said that was no excuse for showing such weakness. The Schnee family should be better than that. _'Then how is she supposed to express her emotions?'_ Winter asked. _'Would you rather she shouted at you?'_ And Father's reply still stuck in Weiss' head to this day, his emphatic _'Yes! At least that isn't as pathetic!"_

Weiss had overheard every word, and in all these years, she never cried again. Instead she shouted. Although, admittedly, she rarely found the courage to shout at Father. But she did not cry. Not even when that little stuffed dog disappeared a few years later, because it was too childish for such a dignified family. If that was not emotional control, what was? And she said as much to Klein. "How is that not control?"

Klein spoke with a sad smile, "The trouble's that suppressing emotions isn't the same as controlling them."

That truth hit Weiss hard. Of course, he was right. But… "Then what am I supposed to do?! If the amount of control I have only works to convince people and not grimm?"

Klein got back to cleaning the floor. "Learn to fight better."

"What?"

"If the grimm are always going to be drawn to you, learn to fight them off." Klein spoke with calm logic now, his eyes shifting color with his emotions. "Keep working on control, but the stresses of your position in the SDC might prevent you from ever achieving the calm mind shared by your classmates. Unfortunately, My Little Snowflake, a lot of things in your life lead to bad emotions. You might not be able to stop that, but you could learn to fight off the extra grimm. You've got the talent and the determination."

He looked up at her with sad compassion. She gave a small smile back. His idea might work in the long term in her career as a huntress, but it would not help the immediate problem of her suffering grades. If and when Father found out…she shuddered internally. "But what if…"

Bang! BANG! The sound came from outside Weiss' swiftly opening bedroom door.

Klein immediately shifted his focus to his work. Weiss dropped her eyes to her textbook. And a second later, Father entered the room.

He somewhat maintained social formality by aggressively knocking _as_ he opened the door. He still burst into the room unexpectedly, but it was enough for him to believe he did so with polite dignity.

He glanced at Klein before shifting his gaze to Weiss, who casually looked up from her homework. He shook his head in frustration. "You spend too much time sitting around in your room. You don't even leave the servants enough time to clean while you are out."

He turned to Klein. "You can finish later. Please give my daughter and me some privacy."

Klein nodded and left without a backward glance. He had to. Even the slightest sympathetic look at Weiss could cost him his job.

When the door closed behind him, Father rounded on Weiss. "How much time have you wasted just sitting around on your bed?"

"I'm studying, Father." It was not really a lie. She had been studying before Klein arrived with the offer to talk while he cleaned the floors. And she intended to keep studying after he left.

But studying was apparently not a good enough excuse for father. "You've been neglecting your duties as heiress for far too long. You should be learning how the Schnee Dust Company is run. And you're going to. I have a business meeting in Mystral this evening. You're coming with. We leave in ten minutes."

Without another word. He turned and walked out of the room before she could protest. He did not bother to close the door.

Weiss looked down at her textbook. She had hoped to finish reading the chapter by tonight, but Father would probably not allow her to read it on the flight to Mystral. He wanted her entire focus on the SDC.

Weiss sighed in frustration. She wished he had informed her of this meeting a couple days ago or at least earlier than ten minutes before they had to leave. But her life was on his schedule. Nothing would change that. Klein was right. With this lack of control over her own life, how could she hope to control her emotions around the grimm? Becoming a better fighter might be her only option.

With another frustrated sigh. She began getting ready to leave.


	7. Laws of Mistral

**Wow… So I did not expect to be away from this story for two months. I knew this chapter would take a bit longer to wright than the others for numerous reasons, which is why I posted the first scene of it as a separate chapter. Then life happened. I'm back now. This chapter takes place on the same day as the precious one.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

 **Obvious disclaimer, RWBY universe and character belong to Rooster Teeth.**

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 **( ( ( ) ) )**

.

 **Before Beacon**

 **Ch.7) Laws of Mistral**

Father and daughter sat in seats across from a wooden desk in a dingy office building on the outskirts of Mistral. Everything in the room seemed to me made out of plain wood: chairs, walls, doors, cabinets, etc. Weiss had expected a corporate office in the heart of the city, but according to Father, this place was cheaper. "If you are to one day run the SDC, you must begin to understand the value of prudent financial decisions. These small dust shops have already wasted enough of our time, we should not allow them to waste our money as well."

Weiss wanted to argue that the businesses had every right to resist this takeover, but she thought better of voicing her opinion and instead picked up one of the business cards from the desk in front of them.

 _Scarlioni's Angle  
_ _Finding new angles to approach old problems.  
_ _Now celebrating 10 years of business solutions._

As Weiss read the card, a side door to the office opened, and an elegant young woman stepped into the office. Despite the humble surroundings, she looked professional.

Father immediately stood and held out his hand to the woman. "Miss Scarlioni, what a pleasure it is to see you again."

"Mr. Schnee, I was pleasantly surprised that you intended to make a personal visit to our office. It makes a nice change from the long-distance scroll calls that normally make up our meetings."

"It seemed an appropriate opportunity to instruct my daughter on SDC business practices."

"Indeed so." The woman turned to Weiss and held out her hand. "Davon Scarlioni. Feel free to call me Davon. I'm the business consultant your father approached to deal with negotiations concerning his acquisition of several businesses in the Mistral region. I hope…"

"One of the consultants," interrupted Father. "I believe your older brother, Leno, was the one who originally established this quaint little business of yours and serves as the senior consultant on this matter. Where is he today, may I ask?"

Davon stiffened at the interruption but answered politely. "He is away attending to matters for one of our other clients. As soon as I informed him of your intention to make a personal visit, he left at once to return to the office, but it may take some time for him to arrive. However, I am aware of all business matters. He may have established out consulting agency, but I like to believe I add a degree of balance to some of my brother's more…interesting ideas. And I am perfectly capable of addressing any concerns you have regarding our ongoing negotiations without his assistance."

Father nodded. "I'm sure."

Weiss noted that he gave no indication of exactly what part of Davon's small speech he was sure of. But she had no further time to contemplate the issue.

The businesswoman turned back to Weiss as if their introduction had never been interrupted. "Anyways, I must say it is truly a pleasure to finally meet you Miss Schnee. I hope your visit will prove educational. You father speaks very highly of you."

 _He does?_ Weiss was glad she did not say that thought out loud. But as she shook the woman's hand and considered the comment, she realized it was probably true. Whatever his private feelings, Father would never risk the company's reputation by shattering his _proud father and family man_ persona.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well." Weiss kept up customary social formality while wondering exactly what Father had told this woman. She got her answer quickly.

"He says you're studying to become a huntress."

Before Weiss could comment on this observation, Father jumped in to _clarify_ the matter. "She is. However, her duties as the heiress to the SDC obviously come first, and she has done an excellent job of balancing her responsibilities and her…hobbies."

Weiss stiffened. Apart from the look in his eyes that suggested he absolutely did not believe his complement to her time management skills, it was the first time he implied that ambition to become a huntress was a hobby. She leapt to defend herself. "Becoming a huntress is important to me. I recently visited Beacon Academy in Vale, and I…"

"Yes, serving the community has always been important to the Schnees." Father interrupted. Weiss hoped that mentioning Beacon in a somewhat public setting might force Father to acknowledge her interests for the sake of maintaining his public image, but one look at his eyes told her that was a mistake. Father let out a hollow, humorless laugh. "…But as for Beacon, I'm afraid my daughter and I were rather disappointed with the academy's inadequate facilities. One would think a school of such high international standing would make more of an effort to accommodate a family such as ours."

Weiss could not help but wonder if that comment was equally directed at the business whose office they were now seated in. Father acted as though having only one of the two consultants that he hired present did not bother him, but he might also interpret it as a lack of respect for one of the world's most powerful families.

Weiss was not the only one to notice the subtle hint. Davon seemed to notice the passive-aggressive accusation. "I am would hope Beacon did everything they were capable of to accommodate you, Sir. Some of the…"

"Yes, well that is the problem isn't it? Someone of my daughter's status should not be subjected to the same inadequate housing conditions as other students. My daughter and I were greatly disappointed in its poor accommodations. But it seems the school is capable of no better."

"Actually," Weiss spoke up. She knew she might regret voicing her thoughts, but letting Father dictate her opinion to the rest of the world was out to the question. "…apart from the housing matter, I rather liked Beacon."

The look Father gave her almost made her whimper in fear. To anyone else, it probably looked like mild annoyance, but Weiss could see beyond the carefully crafted public persona to his furious frustration over her contradicting his version of events in public. Any time he let the _proud father_ act slip public even for a second, she knew he was not happy. And the trip home was not going to be pleasant.

Davon did not notice this moment of tension. "I hear Beacon has some attractive qualities. But if you were looking for an opportunity to see the world, we have an excellent academy in Mistral. And attending Haven might make it easier to keep up with SDC affairs."

"My daughter can most effectively keep up with SDC matters from Atlas." Father put the tips of his fingers together and gave Davon an intent stare over them. "Now, if we may get down to business…"

.

 **( ( ( ) ) )**

.

Weiss tried to listen. She really did. But her mind kept wandering off on tangents. However, she did pick up on the basics of the situation. All but one of the dust stores Father was attempting to purchase had already caved in to SDC demands. But one stubbornly resisted the takeover. Apparently, the local business made enough of a profit to resist a corporate buyout. Father seemed to take this as a personal insult. About 15 minutes into the meeting, he rose from his chair and began pacing the room.

"Unacceptable. Completely unacceptable. You insist that your agency is best suited to advise the SDC on this matter, yet you allow these hooligans running their amateur dust shop to continue exploiting the market and stealing SDC business."

As Father's rant continued, Weiss felt increasingly uncomfortable. He passed the room passing only inches behind her chair, raging at Davon over Weiss' head. Father occasionally paused his pacing to make a point, and when he did, he rested a hand possessively on the back of Weiss' chair. She wanted to stand and free herself from the uncomfortable, unspoken dominance he held over her in that moment, but she knew doing so would only result in a command for her to sit down and stay out of the way. So, she neatly folded her hands and endured the rant as she had done so many times before.

As Father continued, Davon grew increasingly indignant. "Mr. Schnee, my brother and I have already negotiated your company's purchase of every other business you showed interest in."

"And yet this last one remains out of my hands and poses a threat to the SDC's interests in Mistral."

Weiss could not help but question that logic. "A single dust shop is a threat to the SDC?"

Father looked at her as though he had forgotten she was there. He spoke with exasperated annoyance at her interruption. "Not the entire SDC. But on a local level, yes, the defiance shown by these stubborn fools threatens the dignity of our company and the Schnee name. It could be interpreted as weakness. And that, is I am sure you are well aware, is unacceptable."

As Father turned back to continue his rant, he was interrupted again. The office door opened, and an exuberant man entered the meeting with a clap of his hands. "Well what have we here? Starting without me, are you?!"

He looked like a middle-aged man attempting to appear younger. His flashy clothes were just a bit out of date. He had a haphazard, scruffy look. Despite how unprofessional he appeared to Weiss, Father beamed as he turned to greet the man. "Leno, glad you could join us. We were just discussing what to do about this last stubborn dust shop."

Weiss could not help raising her eyebrows at Father's sudden change in mood. He seemed genuinely pleased to see this man, which was not the case with most people. Father still greeted the newcomer, clearly Davon's brother and business partner, warmly even though he did not appear nearly as professional as his sister. It was a mystery to Weiss considering Father usually prized professionalism above almost anything else.

But at the moment, she was a bit bewildered by the rather creepy looker Leno gave her. She had turned in her seat to see the conversation behind her chair. He strode up to her and loomed over her so close he was nearly touching her. She would have to push him out of the way in order to get up and leave the increasingly uncomfortable seat. Not only would that temporarily place her even closer to this rather creepy man, but Father would undoubtedly scold her later for her rudeness. He gave her what he probably thought was a friendly smile. "And who do we have here?"

"My daughter and as of recent unfortunate events, also the SDC heiress, Weiss Schnee." Father again took up his proud parent persona. "She was eager to learn about the business practices of our family company. So I invited her to sit in on our meeting today."

"Is that so?" Leno leered at her before suddenly giving a disinterested shrug and walking away. Weiss was too bewildered by the man's actions to fay anything, but he did not seem to notice, continuing the conversation as though she was not there. "So this last shop. I think we can guarantee it in your possession by the end of the week."

"Leno!" Davon appeared horrified by his pronouncement.

"That would be acceptable." Father accepted Leno's suggestion with a self-satisfied smirk at Davon.

Davon lowered her voice to a half-whisper that could, nevertheless, still be heard by everyone in the room. "There is no way we can negotiate and close the deal so soon. We don't have the time. We haven't even convinced the owners to sell yet."

"They'll sell." Leno assured the room. "Everyone sells with the proper motivation. All we need are my superb skill of persuasion."

Davon groaned. "Leno, we discussed this. We can not maintain a successful international business if there are any questions about the legitimacy of our methods."

"Now, now, Davon…" Father interrupted the siblings' argument with a condescending tone. "I hope you are not questioning your brother's business practices. Despite his rough past, he is the one who established this agency, graciously allowed you to work here, and completed several negotiations for the SDC in record time. I would trust no other man on a job like this. After all, this is Mistral. I'm sure there are far worse things going on beyond these walls than Leno's persuasive business tactics."

"Thank you for the endorsement, Jacque." Leno coasted right over his sister's indignant expression. "Now we have several methods for dealing with this matter. Given that the owners of the shop in question are faunus, more methods of negotiation are available to us than usual. Authorities are willing to overlook the odd grey area when it comes to those animals."

"Leno, for goodness sake, we are trying to run a legitimate business here." Davon sighed.

"And what do you think he's doing." Father was apparently getting frustrated with Davon's interruptions. "A legitimate business gets the promised results. And this business here promised to settle all my business acquisitions satisfactorily."

As he spoke, Father emphatically pointed at the office desk to indicate the responsibility of the present business, but as he did so, his hand swung swiftly past Weiss' face causing her to flinch. Apparently, he had once again forgotten she was there, and the waving of his hand as he spoke came dangerously close to her face.

Davon stood up from the desk chair. When she spoke, the effort to keep her voice under control was apparent. "Mr. Schnee, I am doing nothing more than protecting the reputation of my family business and yours."

"The reputation of your business should be built on nothing less than success." His voice rose as he went from frustration to anger. The next time his emphatically waved hand nearly missed hitting her, her flinch was due to both the near miss and his increasing volume. "Our world survives on high finance. Businesses like the SDC keep civilization from crumbling. Pathetic little shops like this one run by these faunus hooligans do nothing to better out society or our world. They are irrelevant unless tied to a greater organization that can actually do some good. And yet they resist the negotiations that could actually turn their pathetic little profit box into an outlet for real financial influence."

"It's not as simple as that, Mr. Schnee. The owners are not the only ones resisting this takeover. The people of that neighborhood do not want their local dust shop bought out by an Atlasian corporation."

"Ignorant peasants. What do they know about what is best for the world. The SDC can standardize their dust prices and make them a part of the world's economy rather than wasting away in the background."

Weiss cringed at the volume of his voice. Davon kept her tone level throughout the argument, but Father's shouting was beginning to hurt Weiss' ears. Why could he not just have a civilized discussion? She thought of speaking up and asking him to lower his voice but feared the consequences of such an action.

Her hesitance over voicing her discomfort began to diminish, however, when Father leaned over to rest his hands on Davon's desk. He intended to shout in the businesswoman's face, but his position actually meant that he was shouting in Weiss's ear, his volume making her cringe. "I trust Leno had no illegal methods in mind concerning this particular case. If only the rulers of our kingdoms were more enlightened concerning the necessities and subtleties of modern business negotiation…"

Weiss realized Father had no intention of halting his rant any time soon. She had to speak up about him shouting so close to her ear. But it was hard to get a word in as the tirade continued. "As for the shop itself, besides a few loyal customers, what do they have?! If they claim to care so much about their customers, they should be happy the customers will finally have the opportunity to purchase Schnee quality dust products. And don't you dare make the claim that we are putting people out of work. The so-called 'Faunus Problem' has become quite the issue of late. Despite the rumors spread by these conniving terrorists, I believe most of the world understands my position. The SDC will retain local staff provided they meet out criteria. They have no other objections to the SDC moving in!"

"Father." She hated how small her voice sounded.

"Stay out of this!" He waved her interruption off with his hand again nearly hitting her. It was probably unintentional. He had not even looked at her as he shouted, his glair never leaving Davon.

Weiss cringed at the volume but timidly persevered. "Just could…"

"I said stay out of this! You are here to learn, not to contribute!" His voice got even louder.

"But…"

"Do you want to leave the room!? Do you?!"

"No but could you please talk quieter." She said the words as fast as she could to get them out before another interruption.

"Get out!" Father pointed at the office door. His face was red with furry. "Go wait in the hall. I don't need you interrupting this meeting. The business here is important. But since you can't seem to understand that, go wait for me in the hall."

Weiss stumbled from her chair and backed hesitantly toward the door. "I…I…I know it's important. I just didn't want you yelling in my ear."

With arms folded calmly beside the door, Leno gave a derisive snort. "He wouldn't have had to yell over you if you hadn't kept interrupting him."

Weiss froze. Her own indignant anger growing at this perverted interpretation of events. "But I only interrupted because…"

"I don't want to hear it." Ironically, Father's voice was a bit calmer now that Leno had sided with him. "Go wait outside."

"Perhaps you should go with her, Davon." Leno suggested. "Wouldn't want the girl to get into trouble."

"I should remain here during the course of our business transactions."

Father shook his head, his gentlemanly persona rapidly returning. "No, it's fine. I believe Leno and I can conclude all necessary business."

.

 **( ( ( ) ) )**

.

In the hall, Davon and Weiss stood quietly for a moment. Father was angry with her, and all Weiss could think of at the moment was how unpleasant the trip home was going to be. Her thoughts were interrupted when Davon spoke. "Would you like something to eat? Our office building has a small kitchen."

Weiss shrugged. "I guess."

She would normally act more formal even when Father was not around, but her thoughts were distracted. She followed Davon down the hall. When they reached the kitchen, Davon examined the contents of a small fridge while Weiss leaned against the round wooden table. The injustice of the whole conversation made her want to scream.

"Would you like some chicken salad?"

"Sorry? What?" Weiss almost got lost in thoughts again before she registered Davon's question.

"My brother loves chicken, so we end up eating a lot of it. I have had to get very creative with ways to prepare the excess chicken we always have around here. My chicken salad is excellent, if I do say so myself."

"Oh, okay. Just a little bit then." Weiss could not believe that after an argument like that, Davon could just go back to talking about mundane things like nothing happened.

The older woman set two plates on the table, and the pair sat down to eat. Weiss was not really hungry, but she needed something to distract her from what she was feeling. She wanted to cry but held it back. Her brief pride an this level of control crumbled a moment later as she remembered what Klein said earlier about suppressing emotions not being the same as controlling them.

 _"…_ _a lot of things in your life lead to bad emotions. You might not be able to stop that…"_ The words echoed in her head. Her experience over the last few minutes and the last day as a whole served as a potent reminder of just how little control she had over her own life.

"You can't let it get to you." Davon calmly spoke as though she could hear Weiss' thoughts. "I know it's not easy. But you shouldn't let them change what you think of yourself."

Weiss stared at this woman she hardly knew and wondered how much she could trust her. But it did not matter. She was sick of keeping up the façade. She was sick of living the impossible lie her family imposed on her. "I'm not strong enough to defy him."

"Of course you are, but only if you believe it yourself. It may not be easy, but I will reform the business my brother started. He did not want me working here, but here I am. He might be okay with moral grey areas. I am not. I will make a change here even if it takes a long uphill battle."

Weiss gave a halfhearted smile at the sentiment. "You sound like my sister."

"And she won her independence, didn't she?"

"Yes, at a high price."

"Still proves it's possible. Even if it takes time…and effort…and a high price in the end."

Weiss shrugged. She appreciated the woman's optimism, but her thoughts drifted to the events at hand. After the confrontation that just occurred, the trip home was not going to be pleasant. Forget the big picture. Just getting through the next few hours without giving up and breaking down would be a struggle.

.

 **( ( ( ) ) )**

.

"I can't believe you're still talking about that place." In Father's rant, _that place_ was Beacon. Weiss had endured Father's accusations of irresponsibility and foolishness for her positive comments on Beacon when they first met Davon. Apparently to him, that was her worst crime of all.

"I just want to keep my options open. You did say I could attend any school I wanted." It was the best defense Weiss could come up with, and she had been repeating it for the past hour on their flight home.

Father switched to what he apparently thought was a calm rational voice, but most of the calm reason was lost behind a condescending sneer. "Sweetheart, _my_ daughter will only truly thrive in a familiar and comfortable environment. Sadly Beacon does not provide that environment. Adapting to a different culture would only prove a hindrance and a distraction to your studies and duties as heiress, duties which would also be quite difficult to fulfill at such a great distance from Schnee Duct Company headquarters."

"I…I think…I can succeed there." Weiss hated the sudden stutter and worked to steady her voice. "You did say I could go anywhere I wanted."

"As long as you use common sense in that decision." Father snapped. "The campus lacked the discipline and organization found in our own Atlas Academy, the discipline and organization someone of your status is accustomed to."

"But isn't that focus on discipline the reason Winter joined the military. You don't want me to do that, so…"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Weiss realized her mistake. Father had not mentioned Winter by name in months. His bitter tone cut deeper that any shouting from earlier. "And you think her defiance solved anything?"

"No, Father I…"

"If you plan on becoming a huntress at all, you will attend Atlas Academy. And if you even think about running off to the army…"

"I won't." It was a risk interrupting Father, but she had to be clear. The military was not for her.

"Good. Then we agree."

It took Weiss a second to realize that he had chosen to interpret her agreement to not join the military as an agreement to also attend Atlas Academy. And a part of her knew she should argue. She should stand up for herself. But she was so tired. After a long day, an hour trapped on a small ship with Father grinding into her head that she had no chance of honoring the family name outside Atlas left her too weary to willingly start up the argument again.

Father thought he won. And maybe for now he had. She closed her eyes, steadied her breath, and fought with all her remaining strength to believe she still had any hope of breaking free.

.

 **( ( ( ) ) )**

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 **Author's Note: Not sure how regularly I will be posting from here forward. With Volume 5 starting in a few weeks, I may get distracted. Hopefully life will not get too insane again anytime soon. Regardless, I will try to never have more than a month between chapters.**

 **Thanks to everyone who has shown an interest in this story. I appreciate it.**

 **P.S. If anyone noticed the random references to the 1979 Doctor Who episode City of Death in this chapter, good for you. If you didn't notice, it doesn't really matter. I just put it in there because I thought it was funny.**


	8. Two Lives

**Happy Halloween! (Even though by the time most people read this Halloween will be over)**

 **Here is my posting for October, Chapter 8. I hope it's good because 8 has always been my lucky number.**

 **Obvious disclaimer, RWBY characters and universe belong to Rooster Teeth.**

.

 **( ( (** **. ) ) )**

.

 **Before Beacon**

 **Ch.8) Two Lives**

Normal lessons lacked the glory of combat training. Wielding her sword gave her a sense of control over her life without defying of Atlas' high society standards. But everyday academic studies lacked the glorious illusion of freedom.

She kept up her interest in these mundane skills by reminding herself that they mattered to a huntress. Math and science to calculate dust ratios and battle tactics. History and geography to understand how and why the world's current politics took shape. Language and literature to enable effective communication on and off the battlefield no matter what cultural barriers stood in the way.

To Weiss, nothing less than perfection existed. At least that was the theory, the hope that perfection would be enough.

Father had his own ideas about the values of her everyday studies. His interests lay solely with her eventual running of the Schnee Dust Company.

Even after more than four months as the heiress, the idea of running the SDC still intimidated her.

Weiss stared down at her history notes. She had a lot of studying to cover today, but for some reason she could not concentrate. The information she had been given concerning international politics in the decades since the Faunus War was clearly slanted in favor of the SDC. It contradicted a lot of the articles and news stories Weiss discovered in her own private research.

And each time she thought of those contradictions, her mind inevitably began wandering back to her roll at the SDC. How could she hope to redeem the family name if she still struggled to get accurate information? Nowadays, people looked to her and speculating about her answers to problems she could not prove even existed.

The position of heiress amidst Father's immediate company affairs no longer worried her. She easily grew accustomed to receiving extra attention at banquets and charity events. Although not always welcomed, it was tolerable.

But she did still worry about what her position meant for her future.

Sure, Grandfather ran the company as a huntsman, but he did not have her father breathing down his neck looking for a way to sabotage him at every step. If the meeting in Mistral showed anything, it proved how little Father valued her opinion. And how little control she had over her life.

Not that she hadn't already known that, but this incident seemed to grind the truth in a little harsher than usual. He…

Bang! "We're going for a walk!"

Weiss jumped as Father knocked on her door simultaneous with opening it. "What?!"

He had already started walking away. Glancing back, he gave her a look of impatience. "Are you coming?"

Dropping her notes, she hurried to the door. "Father, I have a lot of studying to do this afternoon."

"You'll have time to do that later. We need to talk."

Suppressing the urge to tell him that she had her combat training later, she pulled her door shut and followed him down the hall. "Where are we going?"

"A walk around the manor grounds will do you good. You waste too much time indoors."

"Isn't it a bit cold out for that?" She already knew the answer. Although it was still late Autumn, the temperature had dropped exceptionally rapidly this year and would soon usher in the harsh Atlasian winter.

"The cool air is healthy." Father responded without looking at her. "Too much indoor air breeds weakness."

Resigned, Weiss followed him through the halls and out onto the brisk, windswept terrace beyond the manor walls.

As they walked, Father kept up a commentary on his recent successful business dealings in Mistral. "If you look at it from any sensible point of view, it's obvious. It is business that makes the world go around, and this is the era of big business. The SDC has been around for generations, gaining people's trust, and establishing a solid financial and business platform from which we operate. There is no way your average small dust shop can compete with that. And I dare say, many of those customers only patronize those establishments out of convenience. The distance between SDC sponsored dust shops in Mistral is far too great. Without the boost given to it by the SDC's economic growth, our own superior technology and military in Atlas would crumble to the degraded levels of the other kingdoms. The fact is that although negotiating with these people is an unpleasant task, it must be done for the sake of offering Mistral the same prosperity Atlas has recently enjoyed."

Weiss sighed but restrained herself from audibly groaning at his self-congratulatory speech. Cold wind cut through her clothing and she wondered how long it might take for him to get to the point.

"Since it was founded, it has been the duty of the Schnee Dust Company to build a better world."

Weiss almost stopped walking at that comment. The SDC may have been founded with such a dream, a dream she shared with Winter. But both sisters knew well enough that Father only shared that dream to the extent that he could turn a profit with it. But as she had her whole life, Weiss bit back her frustration and continued walking.

"That better world requires lien. The SDC can not spare much at the moment, which is why the revenue from out next Mantel charity concert is vital for keeping the company's reputation intact."

This time Weiss did stop walking. "What charity concert? When?"

Father turned on the spot to face her. "The one coming up in…oh, what is it? Less than two weeks now."

"Am I supposed to sing at this concert?"

"Of course." Father spoke as though he found the question odd and the answer obvious.

"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?! I need time to practice."

"Don't be absurd. I told you weeks ago."

Weiss searched her memories, but Father telling her about an upcoming concert was not something she could have forgotten. In her desire for perfection, she would have started practicing immediately. Hating to contradict him but needing to address the issue, she spoke hesitantly. "No, you didn't…"

"Of course, I did. It's not my fault you forgot. Honestly, if you expect to run the SDC one day, you will have to get better at keeping your affairs in order." Be paused to frown down at her, but before Weiss could argue, he continued.

"On that note, it has come to my attention that your understanding of how to run a modern business is not as complete as it might be." His voice carried a more direct tone. Clearly, they were finally getting to the reason he wanted to speak with her. "Now I realize that this is not entirely your fault. Until recently, you had little reason to suppose that running the SDC would one day be your responsibility. However, I am disappointed that you appear to have made no preparations at all for this contingency, however unlikely."

Weiss winced internally at the accusation of ill-preparedness, but a spark of rebellion drew a flash of frustrated anger as well. How could she have known that Winter was serious about joining the military or that Father was serious about disinheriting her for it? She had been sure at least one, if not both, of them was bluffing, but she was wrong.

"Concerning your destressing lack of preparation, I believe I have found a solution." As they continued their walk around the manor grounds, Father failed to notice his daughter's irritation. "I wish you to have a mentor, someone experienced in the business world who can guide you in the practical application of commercial dealings in today's political climate."

"Who do you mean when you say a _mentor_?" Weiss asked.

"I mean someone you can approach regularly with questions and who can develop your education by relating their own experiences."

Weiss considered idea. It might be useful to have someone she could regularly talk to about her insecurities over someday running the SDC. But one concern remained. "Who do you have in mind?"

"I have not made a selection yet. Though I have found some prime candidates."

Dread filled Weiss. Given Father's low opinion of her and his attitude toward other people in general, what kind of person would he choose? What if he chose someone monstrous to act as her mentor? She doubted how comfortable she would be with anyone he chose and quickly sought for her own suggestion. Winter would be her first choice, but although Weiss' sister had received more business training in her years as the heiress, she currently held a military job rather than a commercial one. And of course, Father wanted nothing to do with her.

Searching her mind for any suitable suggestion, she jumped at the first name that came to mind. "What about Davon?"

"Who?"

"Davon Scarlioni. From the meeting in Mistral a couple weeks ago. She seemed quite polite and respectable. And intelligent."

Father frowned. "That consulting agency hardly qualifies as big business."

"But they work with a lot of big businesses."

"Her brother seems the more efficient partner in that enterprise. I'm sure I could get him to agree to mentor you if you wish."

Weiss suppressed a shudder and desperately invented an argument for her case. "He's probably too busy, but I'm sure Davon would have time to speak with me on occasion. Besides, she has experience coming into an already established business just like I will have to with the SDC."

Father was silent for a moment. Weiss practically held her breath while waiting for his response. "Do I have your word that you will heed her advice and place maximum effort into your business studies?"

"Yes, Sir." Weiss let out her breath in a sigh of relief, the cold air turning that breath into a billowing white cloud that half obscured her view of Father's curt nod.

"I will make the calls and arrange for Miss Scarlioni to contact you as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Father." Weiss allowed herself a small smile. Maybe a mentor would help.

They walked on in silence.

Her smile slipped away as she realized she had to bring up one more thing before this conversation could end.

"Father," Weiss spoke hesitantly, knowing the king of reaction she could expect from her next words, "I still need the list of songs I am to perform at the concert."

He held her in a steady, cold gaze. "I'm sure I gave it to you weeks ago."

"I…" Weiss hesitated. His glare dared her to contradict his version of events. Hanging her head, she conceded. "I must have lost it."

"This is unacceptable laxness for someone who will one day lead one of the world's most powerful corporations. You hold the weight of the world on your shoulders and anything less than perfection will disgrace this family."

Weiss flinched at his words and their increasing volume as his scolding continued, his mood taking a rapid turn toward aggressive anger.

"You think you can get away with this kind of sloppiness in the real world? Think again."

"I'm sorry, Father."

" _Sorry_ doesn't fix mistakes. The only thing that fixes mistakes is not making them in the first place."

Their walk had taken them back to the front entrance to the manor. Weiss desperately wanted to go inside, to shelter from the cold wind and cruel words. But she could not leave without that list of songs or before Father finished his lecture. Looking up at him, she gave her hesitant request again. "Could I have a copy of the song list, Father? Another copy, I mean."

Father glared at her but said nothing. She tried not to squirm uncomfortably under his accusing gaze and to maintain the dignified poise that had been drilled into her since birth. After an unbearably long silence, Father sighed. "I will give Klein the list to deliver to you this afternoon."

"Thank you, Father." Desperate for the conversation to end, Weiss plowed onward. "May I go inside now?"

"I suppose." Father sighed. Weiss gave him a grateful nod before heading for the door. She got half way there before he halted her rush to go inside to warm up. "One moment, Sweetheart."

Weiss cringed before turning to face him. "Yes, Father?"

"At this concert, you are to perform only the songs on the list I have prepared."

Weiss' eyes widened. At every concert, Father always let her choose one song to perform beyond the ones he assigned her. Sometimes she performed songs that she had written herself. Her song choice was the best part of each concert. And he was taking that away? "I…but…"

"With little time left before the concert, I do not want you wasting your time writing or rehearsing an irrelevant piece of music. Your prescribed songs must be performed with perfection. As you have allowed so little time for rehearsal, you will devote your attention to the music I have chosen. Perhaps next time you will be more proactive in preparing."

Weiss opened her mouth to argue but instantly realized it would be futile. She redirected her attention to the only realistic thing she could achieve, ending this conversation. "May I go inside, Father."

He nodded. "Yes. Let's go inside."

She could have screamed in frustration. All she wanted was to get away from him to clear her head, but he insisted that she walk by his side all the way back to his study. When they finally got there, he simply gave her a "Good afternoon" and a nod before slamming the door in her face.

Still cold, she walked back to her room. The weather outside chilled her beyond her clothing's immediate capacity to protect her.

Inside her room, she stared at the history book left open on her bed and checked the time. How was she supposed to complete her combat training, finish her studies, and still have time to practice for the concert? She thought of Father referring to her huntress training as a hobby during the meeting a couple weeks ago. He probably expected that she would set aside her _hobby_ until the concert.

She defiantly shook her head at the empty room. Her life as the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company could not be allowed to eclipse her life as an aspiring huntress. She would do _both_ even if that meant staying up half the night to get everything done.

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 **( ( (** **. ) ) )**

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 **Author's Note:**

 **I hope everyone is enjoying Volume 5. It seems to be off to a good start.**

 **Note on OCs: I like to keep things as close to canon as possible, but there are so few canon characters from Weiss' past that a few OCs are needed. However, since the clear theme of Weiss' childhood is loneliness, do not expect any OCs to stick around very long.**

 **Again, thanks to anyone who read, reviewed, favorited, etc.**

P.S. I also fixed a few typos in the previous chapter. Sorry about those.


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